LIFF 2025 – It’s a wrap – ‘Pyre’ wins audience award and ‘Boong’ warms hearts on Closing
Our final piece from this year’s London Indian Film Festival (LIFF)…
with Rahul Sharda from ‘Boong‘
WINNING THIS YEAR’S audience award at lIFF 2025 is the Indian Himalayan feature, ‘Pyre’.
About an Indian couple who are trying to adapt to modern ways – this is the only feature www.asianculturevulture.com did not see at LIFF 2025! (Blame Bafta – coming… Mawaan Rizwan and Anjana Vasan in conversation)
The curtain was physically brought down by the Closing Film, ‘Boong’.
Made before the troubles started in the north east Indian state of Manipur, it was a fitting end to the end of the festival that began with the Tamil French gangster feature.
Read our review below – Rahul Sharda – who worked closely with Lakshmipriya Devi, the writer-director – as the film director’s assistant and assistant editor, introduced the film at the largest screen at the BFI Southbank. He said that many of the locations had burnt down since the troubles – he also spoke to www.asiancultrevulture.com about the film’s young stars after the screening. (See our Instagram video pending).
Among those spotted for the Closing Film were academic and Opening Film moderator, Mukulika Banerjee and filmmaker Sangeeta Datta – both feature in our reel from the Opening on Little Jaffna.
LIFF also screened New British Asian Shorts, ‘Mahabharata’, ‘Village Rockstars 2’ and ‘Pyre’. The festival also had screenings in Birmingham.
Our interview with Rahul Sharda
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‘Boong’ – Heartwarming film with strong message about family bonds
BOONG is both the title of this film and the name of the central character – it appears to be a slang term of endearment and literally means ‘boy’.
Played beautifully by Gugun Kipgen and supported more than ably by his best friend in the film – Raju (Angom Sanamtum), they bond at school and have a mutual adversary in Juliana (Nemetia Ngangbam).
She is only too keen to call them out at the slightest opportunity and yes, they probably do have little crush on each other.
Boong is naturally very mischievous and the central mission in his life is finding his father who appears to have crossed the nearby border into Myanmar.
And so begins Boong’s search for his Dad on the other side – and he enlists both Raj and Juliana’s assistance. She comes round to being an ally, when they purposefully avoid going to the temple just to keep her company and she accepts the antagonism is unnecessary.
One of the lovely things about this film is the friendship depicted between Boong and Raju. The latter is originally from Rajasthan but they have been settled in Manipur for three generations, while Boong is from the local Meitei community and it’s a friendship that endures some hard knocks and personal brickbats, when Boong’s plans go awry.
Does Boong find his Dad? We can’t possibly reveal but have a hanky or two.
Directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, who is from Manipur, this is like a love letter to the area – and considering the recent conflict there and the continuing issues with Burma – this is a timely film with a powerful and endearing heart and everyone involved deserves plaudits. It first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last year and became the first film from this region in India to ever play there.
ACV rating: **** (out of five)
